3.5m juniors ‘Enjoy the Match’ in the Football League
Northampton Town and the other 71 clubs across the Football League sold a combined 3,500,000 junior tickets last season, meaning young people made up almost 1/3 of all crowds in 2013/14.
Over the last six seasons junior attendance in the Football League has risen by 31% compared with a 6% increase in overall attendance during the same period.
The new figures are being seen as a ringing endorsement of Football League clubs’ extensive work to reach out, attract and engage with families through their own enhanced dedicated family-friendly facilities and innovative matchday entertainment, as well as the Football League’s Enjoy the Match campaign. Alongside the Football League Family Excellence Awards Scheme, the Enjoy the Match Campaign plays a crucial role in helping clubs to attract families and young supporters to Football League matches.
Launched in 2008, Enjoy the Match focusses on a Code of Conduct in which clubs pledge to enforce a zero tolerance policy on anti-social behaviour in the dedicated family areas across the Football League, encouraging clubs to create a family atmosphere at games that can be enjoyed by supporters of all ages.
In the 2014/15 season Northampton Town is set to build on the success of Enjoy the Match with a range of new materials in our team colours, including a refreshed Code of Conduct, to display within the new fans family village as part of the new, redeveloped East Stand.
Chairman David Cardoza said, "We have worked really hard to make attract and retain young supporters over the last few years with free match and season tickets for ynder 7s. We are sure that when the redeveloped East Stand is complete, the facilities we can provide will take that work to a whole new level and we are really excited about expanding our work to attract even more families and young supporters."
Football League Head of Customer Services Andrea Brown said, “We’re really proud of the work Football League clubs across the country do to attract new fans. These statistics just go to show that this work is having a real impact."